St. Elias Stable’s Captain Cook, the morning line favorite for Saturday’s 17th running of the $350,000 Perryville (G3), arrived at Keeneland Wednesday from Saratoga and galloped once around early on the main track Thursday morning.

“We got him in the barn a month before he ran (in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial-G1),” said Sophie Green, who is overseeing trainer Todd Pletcher’s Keeneland string and was at Saratoga when Captain Cook joined the stable.

“I really like him. He’s one of my favorites,” Green said. “He is very chill and relaxed.”

Captain Cook was caught at the wire by Patch Adams losing by a nose in the Jerkens but finishing 1½ lengths ahead of Perryville rival Barnes.

“We didn’t know if the (7-furlong) distance would suit him,” Green said of Captain Cook, who was making only his second sprint start of 2025.

Pletcher, who leads all trainers with 75 stakes victories at Keeneland, will be going for his second win in the Perryville and fourth stakes victory of the Fall Meet. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount Saturday.

At last year’s Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale, Captain Cook sold for $410,000 to record the second-highest amount paid. Bred by Marylou Whitney Stables, the son of Practical Joke was consigned by Gainesway, agent for the Estate of John Hendrickson.